Delegate Ben Queen and House Impeachment Committee are Back to Work on Monday

By Connect Clarksburg Staff | August 05, 2018

{Harrison County Delegate Ben Queen is the only member of the House of Delegates Impeachment Committee from Harrison County. A vote is expected this week on the impeachment of at least one member of the WV Supreme Court. Other members of the court are also being investigate by the Committee.}

Commentary by Hoppy Kercheval. It is a foregone conclusion that the House Judiciary Committee will recommend impeachment of suspended State Supreme Court Justice Allen Loughry, and that the full House will vote for impeachment. The state Senate will then decide whether to remove Loughry from office. That takes a vote by two-thirds of the members.

Most of the evidence during the committee investigation has piled up against Loughry. Democrats, who are in the minority on the committee, have drafted their own articles of impeachment because they want to focus on Loughry now. Committee Chairman Republican John Shott has said he will stay the course, present all the evidence and then have the committee decide on impeachment of one or more justices.

Still, the Democrats’ articles of impeachment are worth a review because they provide insight into the thinking of the minority members on the committee. The dems crafted eight articles against Loughry based on what they concluded were “A series of actions and representations, documented by clear evidence and sworn testimonials, which exhibits a pattern of corruption and deceitfulness never before seen in our state judicial system.”

The document then proceeds to explain each of the articles against Loughry; taking the Cass Gilbert desk home, removing a couch that belonged to late Justice Joe Albright, making false statements to the House of Delegates Finance Committee, personal use of a state government computer at his home, use of Court vehicles and a state gas credit card for personal use, lying under oath about his office renovations, removing custom picture frames paid for by taxpayers, and multiple violations of the State Code of Judicial Conduct.